A Word from the Director
Welcome to the home of truthXchange, where we seek to turn spirituality “inside out.” What do we mean? We live in a very “spiritual” world, but it is important to know which spirituality you adopt. The Apostle Paul says, and this comes as a shock to many, that there are only two spiritualities:
- worshiping and serving something “inside” creation (what I call “Oneism”), where all reality is the same and thus one, or,
- worshiping and serving the God who stands “outside” creation (“Twoism”).
Reality is made up of two kinds of being: the Creator, a majestic personal being with no beginning, who is different from us; and creation, of which we are a part. We have a beginning and are limited by space and time.
Deep down, people know that leisure, sexual freedom and material plenty can’t satisfy their souls, so they turn to spirituality. Today there is a wind of hope and peace in the air. By dealing more gently with the earth, by reaching out to the poor, and by paying more attention to the quiet beauty of a moment of meditation in a forest or on the beach, or communion with one’s “higher self,” maybe we can produce a sustainable, global restoration process of the earth and its inhabitants.
Will this change bring spiritual revival?
If you are seeking truth in the cultural context of a “going within” kind of spirituality, you need to reread the biblical texts. This is the most important thing you could ever do because a few things never change. The Word from the “outside,” the Bible, is one of them. A historical and biblical perspective is most necessary in our age of global optimism for a transformed planet.
Our name, truthXchange comes from something the Apostle Paul wrote to a church in first-century Rome, when the Pax Romana (imperial social harmony) claimed to unify the known world in peace and prosperity. Paul wanted Christians in his time to understand their culture, so they would know how to talk about the gospel of God to their neighbors and friends. Paul affirms counter-culturally that Roman society, however enjoyable for many, was based on a false premise. He speaks of the great exchange: human beings in rebellion “exchange the truth of God for the lie and worship and serve the creation rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25).
With a major flaw at its base—the sinful human heart—our well-intentioned utopian hope can quickly become hell on earth, as did the Roman utopia for Christians.
TruthXchange seeks to unpack what Paul meant in his day and what his words mean for our day. Whether spirituality comes from the inside or the outside makes a huge difference in everything we do and think. Are we alone in this vast impersonal cosmos, making our own rules, evolving (we hope) for the good of all? Or, are we part of a vast, intelligently made universe that is the work of a personal, distinct and glorious Creator, who has reached down in the redeeming love of Jesus to rescue us from ourselves? The implications of Paul’s analysis are volcanic.
We invite you to explore our site using the many links to conferences, lectures, and other resources. We welcome your responses.
Dr. Peter Jones
Director, truthXchange